Multi-physics modeling and finite element formulation of corneal UV cross-linking

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2021

Abstract

The UV cross-linking technique applied to the cornea is a popular and effective therapy for eye diseases such as keratoconus and ectatic disorders. The treatment strengthens the cornea by forming new cross-links via photochemical reactions and, in turn, prevents the disease from further developing. To better understand and capture the underlying mechanisms, we develop a multi-physics model that considers the migration of the riboflavin (i.e., the photo-initializer), UV light absorption, the photochemical reaction that forms the cross-links, and biomechanical changes caused by changes to the microstructure. Our model is calibrated to a set of nanoindentation tests on UV cross-linked corneas from the literature. Additionally, we implement our multi-physics model numerically into a commercial finite element software. We also compare our simulation against a set of inflation tests from the literature. The simulation capability allows us to make quantitative predictions of a therapy’s outcomes in full 3-D, based on the actual corneal geometry; it also helps medical practitioners with surgical planning.

Identifier

85106309263 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-021-01463-3

e-ISSN

16177940

ISSN

16177959

PubMed ID

34009489

First Page

1561

Last Page

1578

Issue

4

Volume

20

Grant

CMMI-1751520

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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